Jaime Hernandez: The Accented Hair design is believed to have been the first design used to strike Proof Kennedy Half Dollars in 1964.

The Accented Hair variety displays extra hair, right above Kennedy’s ear, as opposed to a regular coin which will have less hair above the ear. The Accented Hair variety will also be missing most of the lower left serif on the letter, I, of the word, LIBERTY.

Jacqueline Kennedy the wife of John F. Kennedy played a major role in the production of Kennedy Half Dollars. Initially, the John F. Kennedy design was intended to replace the Washington Quarter design. However, Mrs. Kennedy requested that the Washington Quarter design be left alone. As a result, the Franklin Half Dollar was replaced with the Kennedy Half Dollar design.

Soon after, the Accented Hair variety was used to strike the first Proof Kennedy Half Dollars. Mrs. Kennedy also requested that the Accented Hair variety be slightly modified, so that the hair strands right above the ear on the coin would be less prominent. This made the Accented Hair variety a one year type and even then, it was only used to strike some Proof Kennedy Half’s in 1964.

Since the 1964 Proof Kennedy Half with the Accented hair variety was replaced the same year, the Accented Hair variety became somewhat scarce compared to the regular issue proof coins of that year. Less than 5% of the entire 1964 Proof Kennedy Half Dollar mintage is believed to have the Accented hair variety.